Extreme political parties in the European parliament and their difficulties in creating effective political groups

Abstract

The literature has long been interested to study what defines extreme political parties, their mutation and transformation, and their increasing electoral success. However, academic interest has not as yet studied the performance of extreme political parties in the European Parliament. This dissertation addresses the problems of extreme parties in the European Parliament and their difficulties in creating effective political groups. After reviewing the relevant literature on the subject and the conceptualisation of the label 'extreme' is clarified, the patterns of electoral success of extreme parties in European elections are tested. In addition, it documents the problems of policy position and party group membership and affiliation. To test the difficulties of extreme parties, three case-studies based on empirical data are used to shed light on the levels of voting cohesion between party groups, the level of attendance in plenary sittings, and to test the occurrence of Members of European Parliament to speak in plenary sessions and to table parliamentary questions. This dissertation concludes that in their entirety the main findings of the three case-studies fit together like a jigsaw puzzle; with each finding reflecting and justifying the other. The lack of political affinity and the differences within extreme groups highlight the lack of voting cohesion, the low attendance levels and the predisposition of extreme Members of the European Parliament to speak in the plenary, and to table questions to clarify their positions. All in all, these indicators validate the difficulties of extreme parties to create effective political groups.